Dubai-based real estate development and investment firm Sweid & Sweid has announced the launch of a 390,000 sq ft build-to-suit advanced manufacturing facility for Microporous in Virginia, US. 

The facility will serve as the new global headquarters of Microporous, a 90-year-old leading global manufacturer of battery separators used in both lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries. 

The project will drive the company's expansion into the rapidly growing domestic battery supply chain, a sector that continues to attract substantial investment as governments and manufacturers seek to localise critical production capacity within their territories.

Sweid & Sweid said the project represents an expansion into the build-to-suit manufacturing sector and builds on its track record of logistics, industrial, and multifamily developments across the country.

The transaction reflects Sweid & Sweid's continued focus on opportunities where bespoke, customized real estate developments deliver operating efficiencies to its occupiers. 

This approach has spearheaded Sweid & Sweid’s global footprint and led to dozens of multinationals and Fortune 500 corporations establishing operations within their projects.

Commenting on the transaction, Maher Sweid, Managing Partner of Sweid & Sweid, said: "This project represents another step forward in the continued expansion of our US platform. We believe the US market is ripe for investment, and build-to-suit manufacturing facilities offer a compelling opportunity for deploying capital into a growing sector."

"We look forward to continuing to bring our Dubai-based expertise, approach and work ethic to the US market," he stated.

Construction will commence this month by Alston Construction Company, a leading US design-build contractor with extensive experience in advanced manufacturing and industrial projects, with completion scheduled for 2027.

Sweid & Sweid said the project follows a series of recent milestones for the Dubai group across both UAE and US, including the delivery of RP10, an 825,000 sq ft logistics facility in Southeast Atlanta, the completion of The Nelson multifamily development in Austin, Texas, and the upcoming completion of Sweid One, the firm's flagship Grade A office development in Dubai's Jumeirah Lakes Towers district.-TradeArabia News Service